Siege of Middenheim
| Previous | Battle of the Northern Ridge |
| Conflict | Invasion of Cormac Bloodaxe |
| Date | Approx 9 IC |
| Location | Middenheim |
| Outcome | Total Victory for The Empire. |
| | |
| Norsii, Beastmen, Warriors of Chaos [1a], Skaven [1g] | The Empire, [1a] Dwarfs. [1i] |
| | |
| Cormac Bloodaxe. [1a] | Sigmar. [1a] |
| | |
| Approximately 16,000 [1c] | Approximately 8,000 [1c] |
| | |
| Total | |
Following his defeat at the Battle of the Northern Ridge, Sigmar retreated with his army to Middenheim, hoping to draw the invaders to him and buy time for the other Counts to raise armies and march to his aid. [1a]
Cormac Bloodaxe wanted to burn and loot his way through the rest of the new Empire which was far less defended but Kar Odacen demanded that he assault the stronghold to destroy Sigmar and he summoned a great horde of Beastmen to aid Cormac. [1b]
Defenders Deployment
The main viaduct to the city was so well constructed by the Dwarfs that not a single stone could be dislodged and its barbican walls were only a little taller than a man. Despite the large number of refugees crammed into the city, there was enough food to last a month and it was kept under armed guard. The city wells were also covered with iron grates to control access. [1c]
- Sigmar and Redwane defended the viaduct into the city and the partially built citadel at it top with a 1000 warriors from all the tribes in the city. [1c]
- Pendrag and Myrsa commanded the north of the city with another 1000 warriors, including the White Wolves. [1c]
- The eastern part of the city was defended by Conn Carsten and his Udose. [1c]
- Count Marius defended the west with his Jutones and Mercenaries. [1c]
- Wolfgart took 500 warriors into the tunnels beneath the city, split into five groups. [1f]
- The very young or the elderly who could still fight were tasked with defending the streets, especially those leading to the great temple under construction. [1c]
Initial Assault
Sigmar and his contingent drove off three attacks on the viaduct bastion before the attackers brought forth a great Chaos Warshrine which [1d] poured unnatural strength into the tribesmen around, it mutating many. At the same time, Pendrag and his force was attacked by winged creatures and beastmen swarming up the rock itself. [1e] Under the city, Wolfgart was confronted by a Skaven force that had tunnelled up into the lower passages. [1g]
Sigmar and Ulfdar led a fighting wedge of the Udose King's Blades, slaughtering their way towards the Chaos Icon, the berserkers seemingly gaining strength from the shrine as much as the Norsii. Driving back the northern warriors, Sigmar killed the Daemon's that pulled the altar and they managed to push it over the edge of the viaduct to its destruction below. [1h] Down below, Wolfgart was fighting hard but would have been overwhelmed but for the arrival of a contingent of Dwarfs led by Alaric the Mad. [1i]
On the eastern walls, dozens of clans of the Udose cut down the packs of beastmen as they swarmed up the rock to the sound of their pipers. Then a Bray Shaman unleashed a spell which transformed the Gallis clan into beasts who turned on the rest of the tribe, shattering the defence. [1i]
At first Count Marius and his mercenary crossbowmen slaughtered all that threatened to climb their section of the wall. Sorcery ensnared all of his men, giving them visions of riches, but he was protected by his magical blade and as he shouted at his men, he was stabbed by his aide Bastiaan even as the beastmen reached and began killing his mercenaries. [1j]
In the east, Magnus Anders, a veteran in his sixties led the old and the young in a series of guerrilla attacks on the enemy that had breached the defences whilst in the west, the surging beastmen were suddenly attacked by Ironbreakers of Karaz-a-Karak led by Alaric and Wolfgart. As the sun went down, the city was secured once more. [1k]
Runefang
Alaric had not only brought 500 Dwarf warriors to aid the defence but also the first of the Runefangs which Sigmar recieved gratefully, giving it to Pendrag whilst he retained Ghal-Maraz. For the next twelve days, the Norsii and their allies launched attacks on the city and until Alaric inscribed protective runes in the very stones, unnatural storm lashed the fortess-city. [1l]
The End
As the siege had continued the Norsii gathered and decapitated every corpse that fell from the spire, the skulls hurled into a huge pit, exactly eighty yards wide and eight yards deep. Cormac descended into it depths, champions from the various tribes (except the Shornaal worshiping Hung) standing at its edge, each with a dagger at the throat of a fierce warrior. [1m]
Cormac ritually took the heads of 88 captives, letting their blood wash over his iron-hard skin and feeling the wall between the mortal world and the void grow thin. Kar Odacen was energised by the power being drawn to the pit and spoke the first words of death which echoed the birth of Kharnath. The warriors had their throats slit and in answer, crimson bolts of lightning slammed into the pit and Cormac became a Bloodthirster. [1m]
A fresh assault was launched on the city, the Norsii more frenzied than before but the various Counts led their men to drive them back once more. Then the Bloodthirster arrived, its very presence sending the bravest warriors fleeing and it was only when Pendrag managed to regain his courage and thrust his Runefang up towards the sky to dispel the shadows that accompanied it that the defenders rallied. The Norsii charged once more, this time led by Azazel. [1n]
When the Greater Daemon landed near the temple of Ulric, a third of the hundred men who stood with Sigmar there dropped dead of terror and many fled. Both Wolfgart and Redwane managed to strike the immense Khornate manifestation, but their weapons were destroyed and they were wounded by its retaliation whilst Sigmar was disarmed by a strike of its whip. [1o]
Pendrag slaughtered his way through the Norsii before he was confronted by Azazel himself and although he fought with all his kill, he quickly found that all his skill, power and speed was still no match for Gerreon reborn. Otwin and Marius joined him in battling Azazel, but the champion of Slaanesh wounded first Marius and then impaled Otwin's thigh with one of his swords. To Azazel's annoyance, the Berserker King snapped the sword. Pendrag renewed his attack, but again his opponent was too quick, ramming his broken blade into his heart. [1p]
Yet even as he withdrew his broken sword from the body of Pendrag, Azaxel was overcome with self-loathing and regret and retreated from the city. [1q] The dying Pendrag asked that Myrsa take both his Runefang and the title of Count of Middenheim, to which reluctantly the Warrior Eternal agreed. Like Azazel, the Beastmen had had enough and despite the protestations of Kar Odacen they retreated back into the forest. [1r]
Meanwhile Sigmar fought the Bloodthirster in the ruins of the temple of Ulric, managing to survive its onslaught until the very breath of Ulric issued forth, surrounding Myrsa who plunged his sword into the back of the Daemon. Sigmar bathed Ghal-Maraz in the sacred flame and shattered the Bloodthirster with a single blow. The frost-fire of Ulric swept across the whole city and a wolf composed of blue fire appeared at the side of every defender. [1s]
Victory
The Norsii fled only to be met at the foot of the Fauschlag by the relieving armies of the Great Tribes - from the east came the Asoborn led by Queen Freya, the Taleutens led by Count Krugar and howling wildmen of the Cherusen. From the south came the Endals led by Count Aldred and Princess Marika, the Menogoths led by Markus, the Ostagoths by Count Adelhard and the Brigundians by Siggurd. Only two of the great army of Cormac survived the subsequent slaughter - a weeping swordsman and a madman with blood streaming from his eyes. [1s]
The siege was over. [1s]
Quotes
| These are the days of great power. The tribes of the north, the beasts of the forest, and a great prince of Kharnath will fall upon Middenheim, and we will baptise this world in blood!
~ Kar Odacen. [1b] |
Sources
- 1: Legend of Sigmar (anthology): Empire (Novel)
- 1a: Chapter Seventeen: Wolves of the North, pg. 573
- 1b: Chapter Seventeen: Wolves of the North, pg. 577-578
- 1c: Chapter Eighteen: The Empire at Bay, pg. 583-584
- 1d: Chapter Eighteen: The Empire at Bay, pg. 587
- 1e: Chapter Eighteen: The Empire at Bay, pg. 589-590
- 1f: Chapter Eighteen: The Empire at Bay, pg. 593
- 1g: Chapter Eighteen: The Empire at Bay, pg. 595
- 1h: Chapter Nineteen: Heroes of the Hour, pg. 597-599
- 1i: Chapter Nineteen: Heroes of the Hour, pg. 604-606
- 1j: Chapter Nineteen: Heroes of the Hour, pg. 607-609
- 1k: Chapter Twenty: The Last Days, pg. 612
- 1l: Chapter Twenty: The Last Days, pg. 615-618
- 1m: Chapter Twenty: The Last Days, pg. 619
- 1n: Chapter Twenty One: The Last Day, pg. 625-627
- 1o: Chapter Twenty One: The Last Day, pg. 628-630
- 1p: Chapter Twenty One: The Last Day, pg. 631-634
- 1q: Chapter Twenty Two: The Doom of Men, pg. 635
- 1r: Chapter Twenty Two: The Doom of Men, pg. 638-640
- 1s: Chapter Twenty Two: The Doom of Men, pg. 640-643
| Beastmen | ||
| Units | Beast Lord - Bestigor - Bray-Shaman - Centigor - Chaos Giant - Chaos Ogre - Chaos Spawn - Chaos Troll - Chaos Warhound - Chimera - Cockatrice - Cygor - Doombull - Dragon Ogre - Dragon Ogre Shaggoth - Ghorgon - Gor - Gorebull - Great Bray Shaman - Harpy - Jabberslythe - Khorngor - Minotaur - Pestigor - Razorgor - Razorgor Chariot - Shaggoth - Slaangor - Tuskgor Chariot - Tzaangor - Ungor - Wargor - Warhoof | |
| Characters | Brrak Gorehorn - Ghorros Warhoof - Gribbleback - Gorthor - Harbinger - Kartok Great-horn - Khazrak - Kralmaw - Malagor - Moonclaw - Morghur - Ograh - Rurkhar Festigor - Slugtongue - Taurox - Ungrol Four-Horn | |
| Images - Miniatures - Quotes | ||
| Great Tribes | ||
| Tribes | Asoborn - Brigundians - Cherusen - Endals - Jutones - Menogoths - Merogens - Ostagoths - Taleutens - Teutogen - Thuringians - Udoses - Unberogen | |
| Characters | Adelhard - Aldred - Alfgeir - Aloysis - Alessa - Artur - Berongunden - Björn - Bysen - Conn Carsten - Cradoc - Cuthwin - Ebrulf - Egil - Eoforth - Freya - Fridleifr - Garr - Gerreon - Govannon - Griseldis - Henroth - Idris Gwylt - Krugar - Laredus - Leovulf - Maedbh - Marbad - Marika - Marius - Markus - Myrsa - Notker - Otwin - Pendrag - Petra - Ravenna - Redmane Dregor - Redwane - Siggurd - Sigmar - Sigulf - Trinovantes - Ulfdar - Ulrike - Wolfgart - Wolfila | |
